“Addictive design”: Instagram & Facebook violating EU rules, says European Commission
Meta violates the Digital Services Act with its “addictive” design of Instagram and Facebook, the European Commission said in the preliminary conclusion of its investigation into whether the social media company complies with European Union rules. Meta has to change key features on its social media platforms, or face a fine that can run into the billions of euros.
According to the Commission, design features such as highly personalized recommendations, infinite scroll, and autoplay “fuel users' urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into ‘autopilot mode,' contributing to unhealthy habits and compulsive use.” The company also disregarded available information about how much time children spend on its apps and how the optimisation of its reels and stories could lead to excessive or compulsive use.
“Evidence also shows that Meta's current mitigation measures failed to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design,” the Commission said. The time management tools on Instagram and Facebook are easy to dismiss, and Meta’s parental controls are only effective if parents or guardians have technical expertise and devote time and effort to understanding them.
“At this stage of the investigation, the Commission considers that Meta needs to implement design changes to both Instagram and Facebook.” The Commission instructed Meta to disable key addictive features, including infinite scroll and autoplay, implement effective screen time breaks, and adapt its recommendations system to make it less engagement-oriented.
Meta now has the chance to defend itself in writing against the preliminary findings. If that response does not allay the European Commission’s concerns, the tech company faces a fine of up to 6 percent of its global annual revenue. Last year, the company booked a global revenue of $200.97 billion.
Europe has been setting its sights on Big Tech companies for some time, pushing for people to be better protected against excessive use. Previously, the Commission fined companies like Temu and X. It is also investigating Snapchat, Shein, TikTok, and various porn sites for violating the Digital Services Act.
